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Have you ever heard the saying, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is"? Unfortunately, in a world filled with con artists and scammers, we have learned to be immediately skeptical of great deals, especially on the internet. For sellers like myself, who have AMAZING CELL PHONE OFFERS (sorry for the shameless plug), scams and cons make it harder not only on the buyers, but on me as a seller. I have to work twice as hard to gain a potential customer's trust. Yes, people will con you out of money on a Sidekick, MDA, SDA, BLACKBERRY 8100, computer, necklace, cow or hair curler... IF YOU LET THEM.

With over 10,000 buying and selling transactions from all my eBay accounts combined, I have gained some very valuable insight that I would like to share with you. First of all, I believe that most people are generally good and honest and the common eBayer is not out to take advantage of anybody. I have had very, very few situations where this was not the case and when a transaction starts to go bad, generally it is caused by a miscommunication and not dishonesty and can be easily rectified.  I have bought computers, diamond bracelets, digital cameras, diamond rings, gold necklaces, etc... and I have never lost money or been swindled on these higher dollar items. I have enjoyed outstanding deals and saved thousands upon thousands of dollars over the last 6 years simply by finding great offers on eBay. Additionally, I sell wireless devices with such mind-blowing offers that people are stunned at the deal they have gotten through me.  So, how can you be so lucky on eBay? Let me tell you!

I often visit the community boards where an occasional thread will appear in which a buyer will pour out a disturbing tale of deception and theft, from receiving telephone books rather than a computer, to their Paypal account being infiltrated. Each situation is obviously disturbing for the distraught eBayer, yet obviously avoidable if they would have recognized the warning signs.

I have often found that these distraught buyers generally met the following criteria:
1. They were new to eBay or generally inexperienced at buying on the internet
2. They didn't bother to read the auction terms completely
3. They didn't bother to review the seller's feedback and look at the seller's history very closely

There are some very simple steps you can take to identify a fraudulent eBay auction:

1. READ the auction. Read every detail as well as their about me pages. Do the auctions look professional? How is their grammar and punctuation? Do they seem to be conscientious about their business and how the public perceives them? Do they seem intelligent enough to complete the transaction effectively or be able to handle any problems that may arise? Think of it this way: Would you walk into an abandoned junk yard to buy a $2000 computer that you could not plug in or test? No, of course not.  Then don't walk into a poorly constructed auction with stock photos rather than the actual working item and expect a great experience.
2. ASK questions. Even if you don't have one, make one up. Does anybody respond to you? How long did it take for them to get back to you? How professional was their response? If you don't get support BEFORE you buy, do you think you will get any if there is a problem? Get to know the seller in advance if at all possible. One of the beautiful elements of eBay is the ability to communicate directly with your seller. Take advantage of that in addition when at all possible.
3. READ the seller's feedback and history. In the auction, you will see a box on the right hand side that says "Meet the Seller". Next to their name you will see a feedback number. Click on that and read the comments. Feedback comments from customers with high feedback ratings themselves are the most valuable. More experienced ebayers (with a high number next to their name) will give you a more clear picture of what to expect. Feedback comments left by people with low or negative feedback ratings are not as valuable, since they are inexperienced with eBay and may or may not be leaving valid feedback. Contact a customer with a high feedback rating to ask what their experience has been- this is the equivalant of getting a credit reference. Below the seller's name and feedback in the "Meet the Seller" is information regarding how long they have had this eBay ID active. BE SKEPTICAL OF NEW SELLERS WITH LOW FEEDBACK FROM CUSTOMERS WITH LOW FEEDBACK RATINGS THEMSELVES!!

After taking the above steps, you find that everything seems to check out, then your chances of having a great transaction have been increased. If they don't, you might want to walk away from the deal, no matter how good! Do the eBay community a favor by bringing fraudulent auctions to eBay's attention. Leave feedback for sellers who have given you a positive experience. Before leaving a negative for a seller, make sure you contact them to resolve any problems.


The best way to get a GREAT DEAL and a POSITIVE EXPERIENCE on eBay is to take a common sense approach to buying.

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